Looking to the farming future
The country remains in lockdown and while urban life must have changed beyond recognition, the countryside continues to function largely as normal.
Food in the supermarkets is plentiful but the restaurant, catering and leisure trades have ground to a halt. The result has been a reduced requirement for home-grown products and many producers are reporting a drop in demand and/or price
What does this all mean for the UK farming industry? More than ever before, we need to focus on business and succession planning.
Family relationships are often complex but in the current situation of lockdown, farming families have a head start as they are used to living and working together. However, discussing the daily tasks is very different to communicating effectively about the bigger picture.
Planning the future of the family farm is more important than it has ever been before. Now is the time to plan the future of our farming enterprises and communication is undoubtedly the key.
My experience as a facilitator has taught me that starting ‘the conversation’ is the hardest part. Once we can get ideas, opinions and emotions out in the open, we can plan for the future.
Louise Taylor of Barbers is an accredited mediator and specialises in succession planning for farming families.
